The Dark Lake
by Alais Kingsleigh
Summary: He is the demon of knowledge and he had loved her since the beginning of time. It is a love story that transcends time. The magical world doesn't believe in demons and the magical academic community Hermione works in does not believe in superstitions. But what if there's an element of truth to the stories. Could there be love along the way?
1. Legend of the Dark Lake

Summary: He is the demon of knowledge and he had loved her since the beginning of time. It is a love story that transcends time. The magical world doesn't believe in demons and the magical academic community Hermione works in does not believe in superstitions. But what if there's an element of truth to the stories. Could there be love along the way?

A/N: Inspired by a concept from Piers Anthony's Xanth Series. The idea came from this particular prompt: "The frozen lake had finally cracked open after all these frigid years. But it was not this fact that startled me. Rather, it was the single trail of footsteps that lead out." The use of the demon's name was derived from Gnostic texts. My muse always and remains to be Takeshi Kaneshiro.

* * *

 **The Dark Lake**

* * *

Hermione's life after the war had been on most part uneventful. After a few months of mostly long distance relationship, Hermione and Ron realized that their relationship sprung from the excitement around the war and from Harry's adventures. But after a few months of actually dating him after she finished Hogwarts, they've decided to amicably break up.

Now, Hermione works for a magical research journal. Given her youth and being a newbie in the job, they've assigned her the one article nobody ever wanted, the magical environment of the Frozen Lake Forest.

Found somewhere in a remote highly warded area in Northern Japan lies what the wizardry world calls the dark lake. It was warded off against muggles to prevent them from entering the obviously magical place. Nobody knows or even remembers why no matter how hot the weather is, its waters remains frozen solid or why the lake or its surrounding area remains so dark even when the sun shines directly on it.

The forest surrounding the lake is filled with the most powerful and potent potions ingredients, some plants, animals or even trees within the area are considered endangered in many parts of the world. Some bizarre or even oddly shaped varieties of these creatures are found in this oddity, considered strange even in the magical world.

Wizards, normally a superstitious group, would not even stay long in the area, and none would even remain within the place once the sun sets.

…and Hermione's editor wants her to write a 5000 worded article about the place with with supporting pictures.

She just pitched in her newly brought tent. On the outside, it looks just like a small one person pitch tent but on the inside it looks like a charming cottage, it has three bedroom, one which she uses as an office and the other she uses as a library. She pitched her tent, warding the area, she then fixed her portable satellite so she can access the internet.

Yes, dear reader, you've read that right. Hermione managed to find a way around the incompatibility of magic and technology by creating a powerful nullifying charm in the area where she uses gadgets.

She went down to the nearby wizarding village wearing a translation charm so she can speak with locals.

Hermione had been in the area a week when, a translation charm in place, she first heard the legend of this place, which despite the superstitious nature of the wizarding world, most readily dismissed seeing that the magical world do not believe in demons.

From what she pieced together, thousands of years ago a young witch summoned a demon but was killed and the demon, finally out of control went on a rampage and started killing people. Thus, they used blood magic to bind the demon.

She knew that she cannot write this down, because after all their journal only deals with facts. Hermione had to snort at that one. After all, the non-magical world thinks magic is a bunch of hokum too.

Hermione had been familiarizing herself with the small forest. It wasn't as scary as many have implied, it certainly wasn't as dark as she expected it to be. The place held the most beautiful flowers she'd ever seen. The creatures that lived in it were gentler than the wild beasts by the accounts of some people.

The forest was teeming with all kinds of flora and fauna. One can feel the magic in the air even without knowing that this is the famed Frozen Lake Forest. Hermione never felt more at peace and as she walked in the forest, once even seeing a potioner who was gathering potion ingredients.

She took a lot of high quality videos and pictures and ran out of space and she had been taking pictures of the frozen lake. Unable to go back to her computer to transfer pictures and videos quite yet, she opened the side of the camera to change the memory card. As she did so, she accidentally cut herself and a drop of her blood landed on the frozen lake.

She continued taking pictures before she finally thought she'd gotten enough and left. She went back to her tent to continue writing her article. She didn't know but just then the waters underneath of the long frozen lake started to move and something underneath started open its eyes for the first time in around thousands of years.

She left the day after, taking the long distance floo home.

A short while after this, the frozen lake had finally cracked open after all these frigid years. The potioner who frequented the area wasn't startled by that. There was something else. She noticed the single trail of footsteps that lead out and she gasped and ran back to the village.

* * *

The stories weren't exactly true. He wasn't summoned, nor was he bound or forced into submission. Close to 12,000 years ago, a wizarding family from what would later on be called main continent of Asia to escape persecution. It was just opportune for them as it was around this time that the sea levels rose and separated the Japanese archipelago from the mainland continent.

They were a simple family, cultivating and tilling the land around them, practicing their magic and discovering new spells and potions with what they could find from the land. The girl, the youngest in the family of three, was more curious and inclined to create spells and magic.

He was observing humanity, he was after all the demon of knowledge, forbidden and not. He watched as she grew into power, into majesty and later on into knowledge. She was not the beauty her two older sisters were. But she was beautiful to look at, and fallen angel as he was, he could see right into her soul.  
At first, he observed her, watching from a distance. But like moth into the flame, he couldn't help but get nearer.

The curiosity burned into something more. He took the guise of a mortal man, but she in her knowledge of the esoteric knew him for what he is. They met in the dense forestry. They conversed about magic. She showed her newly created spells, charms and potions while he taught her knowledge forbidden from mankind. He still wondered at how her soul remained pure and clean despite the tarnish he was staining it with. He wondered at her humanity, her relentless pursuit of knowledge and her endless well of kindness.

The mutual interest burned into love, while the demon, a creature that spawned off from the war waged in heaven millions of years ago couldn't really love. He felt an affection unlike something he ever felt before, even when he was still a heavenly being. Maybe, he was lying to himself and maybe what he really felt was love. In any case, he felt an attachment towards the girl unlike anything he ever felt before.

Then tragedy struck, the aggression between magicals and non-magicals did not really just sprung up from more recent historical aggression because there had been several thousands of years of friction between the two group. Whenever something disastrous something, a plague, an earthquake or anything, before the advent of medicine it was easy to blame those whose human logic cannot understand.

Magic is an aberration to muggles, both in the medieval times and in the ancient world. While it was worshipped in the times before the rise of Christianity, it was also feared and hated. The local chieftain's son died of what the modern day doctors would call cancer. There was a big tumor on his throat. Fear turned to hatred, forgetful of the help the family of wizards lent their village for years, they turned against them.

The flame-freezing charm read about by the students of magic in later days were thousands of years from being invented yet. The frenzied villagers surprised the family. They put up a fight but were severely outnumbered.

The youngest girl, the demon's lover ran to the woods where the demon would meet her. She called upon him. "Abraxas!" In a swirl of darkness, he arrived. He saw her and saw the villagers who proceeded to torture her. He saw red.

It was a matter of moments. The last of the villagers who attacked the family died. He set his sights to the village where the children and women await. The girl, barely alive tried to stop him but he wouldn't hear of it. She was already encased in a dome of healing he crafted for her. He bid her leave so he could avenger her. She begged the demon not to kill the children and womenfolk. He was determined. She had no choice really, she had seen his savageness in killing off those who did her family harm but she was a pure soul.

She had no choice, she knew him and she knew he wouldn't stop until he got rid of this land of humans. So she used her life force and sealed him in the lake next to where they were both standing. She laid a curse where he wouldn't be able to get out until she herself released him and that in itself is an impossibility seeing that she was dying. She, of course did not chalk up the fact that she can and would live again in another lifetime. He taught her well, he couldn't physically get out of the curse. But as the water drew him in and froze around him, he knew that once he gets out of this he would find her, whether to take vengeance or to shake her for stupidity, he didn't know which. All he knew was that his girl is a heroine to the end. He should have seen that coming.

Time passed, his magic seeped around the place where he was incarcerated. Given the concentration of magic, it encouraged wizards to live in the area. He dreamt, of the change in the world's civilizations, of wars, famine, chaos and of peace and growth of humanity. He dreamt of his beloved, her soul moving on from one body to another, seeking him. An addiction she couldn't assuage and a love unfulfilled.

Several millennia passed, he knew she was near. His forest hummed in tune to her magic and heartbeat. He wondered at the beauty of her soul, remaining untarnished even after all these time. He wanted to soil it, ruin her, make her dark. He wanted vengeance. Most of all he wanted her love.

Thus, when a drop of her reincarnation's blood fell atop his lake, the curse she put on him ended and he opened his eyes.

* * *

Do I continue this?


	2. War of the Heavenly Hosts

Summary: He is the demon of knowledge and he had loved her since the beginning of time. It is a love story that transcends time. The magical world doesn't believe in demons and the magical academic community Hermione works in does not believe in superstitions. But what if there's an element of truth to the stories. Could there be love along the way?

A/N: Inspired by a concept from Piers Anthony's Xanth Series. The idea came from this particular prompt: "The frozen lake had finally cracked open after all these frigid years. But it was not this fact that startled me. Rather, it was the single trail of footsteps that lead out." The use of the demon's name was derived from Gnostic texts. My muse always and remains to be Takeshi Kaneshiro.

A shout out to my favorite reader SereniteRose! Thank you for always leaving a review and thanks for reading this one even though it's not your usual genre. Thanks for leaving a review BloodyAvenger21. I hope you guys and others who will read this enjoy this chapter.

* * *

 **The Dark Lake**

* * *

A third of the angels fell from grace when they rebelled against their Creator. Abraxas is one of them. He donned his golden armor, armed himself with his golden spear and fought on in a war he didn't particularly feel strongly about but felt he had to fight in to air his grievances. When the Creator's forces, led by Archangel Michael, defeated the dissidents, Abraxas was among those who were thrown off from heaven. He consoled himself that at least the Creator wasn't angry enough to hurl him like lightning the way he did Lucifer, which as he later learned humanity now known as Satan.

He didn't have the delusions of self-grandeur as Lucifer did, nor did he want to bring harm to humanity, the Creator's favored creations. Rather, he wanted to impart knowledge and wisdom. The Creator wanted his creations to remain in child-like ignorance and indeed the fall of mankind from grace came from the temptation of this same said knowledge. He questions how knowledge can bring humanity to its downfall, but as he slept in his frozen lake, he realized that perhaps, just perhaps, the Creator knew how much harm too much knowledge can give these simpletons.

As he felt the air of false happiness, suffering and materialism around him, he grimaced at the realization that the knowledge they acquired did not give them happiness. Rather, it brought greed and an empty sense of hollowness. The newest technology, the most advanced gadget and the newest car. Products, humanity reaped from his rebelliousness. Ammunition the fallen angels used on humanity as seeming countless years passed to lure them away from their simple happiness.

Did he feel sorry? Not really. He believes in choice. Humanity should still have a choice of what and how they should conduct their lives.

The blood of his lover's newest incarnate gave him more than freedom from the curse she put him in. It gave him her knowledge and experience. He realized that the magical world did not progress as fast as the non-magical did as it remained in fear of the world around it, fear that came from the hatred that killed his lover and her family.

He sat down at the edge of his forest and mulled his lover's latest incarnate's life. Hermione Jean Granger, scarred, battle torn and yet still fighting. He found it ironic that they easily dismissed her as muggle born when he, in the knowledge he attained from her blood alone realized that no one is really muggle born. They are and had always been distant descendants of magicals. Some are offsprings of those whom the magical world hid, squibs or non-magicals born to a magical family.

He can't believe her optimism and her drive to continue to survive and thrive in the world that almost spat her out with its bias and prejudice. Her magic is heady, battle formed and aggressive and her soul and being still sang out to him.

He was and still is the demon of forbidden knowledge. It was easy and it would still be easy to gain knowledge from mortals. He knew he would need it as this world is a much different place than the one he was accustomed to. There was a word from his beloved's latest incarnate's country that feels very apt for him to use, 'obsession'. He knew he was obsessed with her from the start and even in a different body, he still is.

As he felt a human approach his forest, he disappeared in a blink of an eye.

* * *

Hermione's days had been like what they've always been before; finding her parents through different magical and other methods, eat, work, watch some tele, eat again, then work again, talk to a friend or so and write an owl or so, then eat again before relaxing for the evening by reading a book before sleeping.

The article she wrote about the Frozen Lake Forest was a success and her editors liked it. It even had a substantial covering in the next month's journal. She is also working on her different articles for other publications when she felt that chill she feels whenever something horribly bad would happen. They say it's instinctive, especially for those, who like her, have survived a war.

A normal person would have ignored it. But she is not a normal person, she checked her wards, closed her floo network and had her wand beside her. She was still tensed as she watched the tele, watching news and anything else that caught her fancy, and she was still tensed when she fell asleep.

That night she dreamt. She dreamt that she was and wasn't her, like she was herself but in a different body. She can't really understand but it felt as if it was a memory rather than a dream on some level. She dreamt of a dark lover, of almond eyes, dimples and lean strong arms. She dreamt of being loved, being cherished. His kisses felt like molten lava in their heat and his caresses felt as if she would explode if he didn't… Hermione didn't know what to think of this, because despite the fact that she is in her early twenties she has yet to have a lover.

Her friends had been nagging her about her story state of love life, they would have been at her door if they knew this bit about her.

She woke up, went to the kitchen to get herself some water before she returned to bed and slept. The rest of her night had been peaceful and she didn't dream about the strange dark lover anymore.

* * *

Hermione lived in the muggle section of London because it's cheaper than the decidedly smaller but more expensive places within the magical community and because it's more weather proof, has a log fireplace, cable ready and has elevators for when she didn't feel like walking too far. She entered the elevator for one until a man called out. He ran while he was carrying a sizeable box. "Wait!" She quickly punched in the open button for the elevator as he quickly went inside.

"Thanks." The man said. Hermione just nodded. "Floor?" She asked. "Fourth floor please." The man asked. "Oh, it's my floor. I've already punched it in." The man placed his box on the floor. "So you're one of my new neighbors." The man said as he placed his box on the floor. Hermione nodded and smiled and got a good look at him. He has distinct Asian features, tanned and she noticed how his dimple showed when he smiled. "Oh, you're new on my floor. Hermione Granger." Hermione introduced herself extending her hand.

The man took her hand in his and kissed it. Hermione blushed. "Shinji Miyamoto. It is a pleasure to meet you." The man said almost reverently. The elevator quickly reached their floor. Hermione was surprised when she realized that he was moving in next door to hers but shrugged it off, figuring her former neighbors, the Trumans had moved out while she was in Japan.

As she began preparing her lunch, she noted that the man looked somewhat familiar but she couldn't place where she'd seen him before.

'Probably a model in an ad or something…' Hermione mused. 'He has the looks and built for it.' She figured as she lazily chopped vegetables.

* * *

Will probably expound about that war in heaven sometime soon...


	3. Neutral Ground

Summary: He is the demon of knowledge and he had loved her since the beginning of time. It is a love story that transcends time. The magical world doesn't believe in demons and the magical academic community Hermione works in does not believe in superstitions. But what if there's an element of truth to the stories. Could there be love along the way?

A/N: Inspired by a concept from Piers Anthony's Xanth Series. The idea came from this particular prompt: "The frozen lake had finally cracked open after all these frigid years. But it was not this fact that startled me. Rather, it was the single trail of footsteps that lead out." The use of the demon's name was derived from Gnostic texts. My muse always and remains to be Takeshi Kaneshiro. Borrowed a concept from Hellblazer

Thank you for your reviews, SereniteRose and BloodyAvenger 21!

* * *

 **The Dark Lake**

* * *

They say his name was inspiration that formed oral manifestation of the death curse, Avada Kedavra. Many wizards, occults and voodoo consulted his consciousness, as it remained even while his physical form was trapped somewhere in that frigid lake. Despite his choices, he wasn't exactly malevolent in intentions. Although he can admittedly use his knowledge to maim, evilly influence and even kill.

What really set him apart from the other fallen angels is his lack of evil intent. What sets him apart from heavenly hosts is his lack of general feeling of protecting humanity and maintaining its welfare.

Somewhere in between worlds sat an entrance to a bar which housed fighters from both sides, angels, demons and a variety of other supernatural beings came here to rest. Abraxas sat in the bar nursing a drink while his fellow fallen angel, Baal got some drinks. He looked around the bar, wondered why this wasn't done during his time as everyone needs some sort of peace once in a while.

Talks of fighting, fighting or even thinking of the previous physical war and subsequent wager between the two sides were forbidden. They were here to rest. The owner and barkeep, is an immortal voodoo witchdoctor. There were angels discussing some football game with a nephilim and some demons while in a corner sat a vampire and a witch, discussing politics. He made a mental note, that Hermione might find this place interesting, if they would ever get together.

The reason why he sought out his fellow fallen angels is because he wanted to see how things have been. Human infrastructure reaches heights it had not reached before, almost to the skies. Man had even gone to the outer space. It was a good thing though that most do not have an idea of the on-going battle for their soul, as mankind, with its ingenuity might have found a way to even traverse dimensions and might travel to heaven and hell (hell would of course welcome them, it's a matter of whether anyone who would go could leave). Technology have not reached this level (except that one time during the time of Atlantis and Lemuria, even then they did not have cellular phones, although some have telepathic abilities so, it might not have been necessary).

There was a pretense of religion, even amongst these group many are sinners and he, for one would be happy to see them suffer eternal damnation as they live in hate and brought sufferings to others. But even that wasn't anything unusual. Greed was, as always prevalent, but the gap between the rich and poor is bigger than any he had seen before as those who have means tinkered with their gadgets and slept in their warm comfortable homes while those who are poor barely have if any at all, to eat.

Wars, hatred, famine and even sheer lunacy because of religious differences carried on stronger with today's humanity than it ever had before. Now, he realized why many of the knowledge (desire to create technology and understand the world around them) he, in his stubborn rebellion, allowed to seep through in mankind's very soul had the Creator concerned.

Did he regret it? Truthfully, he did not. Like the heavenly hosts in the beginning, humanity, he understood was given the power of choice. It is up to them to choose to live their lives in the manner in which they want. But pragmatically, he could see the damage Adam and Eve's curiosity brought forth to their descendants.

Baal came back, they drank. Abraxas ignored a nephilim* who made a pass at him. Baal teased him for being whipped; Abraxas sighed but still continued to ignore the otherwise beautiful nephilim (obviously took after her mother) while Baal took to flirting with her. Maybe he was whipped, but all he really wanted to do when he came home to his apartment that night is to watch Hermione again. He shrugged when Baal said he'd be leaving with two girls, the nephilim and an elioud* he picked up somewhere. Abraxas took another gulp of his drink and listened while everyone talked, absorbing knowledge of the things they discussed.

'Great!' He thought to himself. 'Now, I'm starting to like American Football and talent shows.' He said as he continued to sit in silence. He really should bring a book next time he comes here.

* * *

Hermione had been feeling it for days on end now, that feeling of being watched. It's really instinctive, given how she survived a war and had to use her instinct to remain alive. At first, she tightened her wards, added a few more, had a muggle security system installed, and when she is not in front of the fireplace, would close the floo. But the feeling remained. She invited friends to sleep over, telling them of her fear, Harry, Ron, Ginny and even Luna and Neville. But the feeling refused to go away.

Seeing that no danger had come to her yet, or had befallen her, after a while, she chalked it up to her paranoia in surviving the war. PTSD after all, manifests to war survivors long after the war. She decided she needed to see a psychiatric healer at St. Mungo's. She's also happy that the magical world now acknowledged the importance of psychological help and had took to hiring tutors and teachers to teach their healers of this craft and later on had sent some of their best healers to study in the muggle world.

Thus, she had been less careful and less vigilant than Alastor Moody would have liked given the fact that she thought she was only being paranoid the past few days. Therefore, she had not been aware of a werewolf, one from Fenrir's pack, who had been stalking her.

A lone werewolf had been waiting but before he could do anything a tall figure grabbed his neck and twisted it. Now, that wouldn't be enough to kill a werewolf but it was enough to temporarily incapacitate him. Abraxas knew that of course, he took a coin in his pocket, and using his unearthly force jabbed the said coin into the werewolf's heart. He shook his hand of the blackened stain that was once the creature's blood. He sighed as he continued to follow Hermione as she walked.

Most girls of her time would be swayed by the jewelry store or the clothing boutique in the corner, instead his girl was excited to enter a bookstore. He smiled as he invisibly walked in with her. Humanity have not changed in essence and so has his girl. He smiled as he took in a whiff of her hair as he walked over to a shelf where a book looked interesting.

* * *

* Nephilim- the offspring of the "sons of God" (either an angel or a fallen angel) and the "daughters of men" before the Deluge (Great Flood).

* Elioud (also transliterated Eljo)- children of the Nephilim and are considered a part-angel hybrid race of their own.


	4. Not Quite Human

Summary: He is the demon of knowledge and he had loved her since the beginning of time. It is a love story that transcends time. The magical world doesn't believe in demons and the magical academic community Hermione works in does not believe in superstitions. But what if there's an element of truth to the stories. Could there be love along the way?

A/N: Inspired by a concept from Piers Anthony's Xanth Series. The idea came from this particular prompt: "The frozen lake had finally cracked open after all these frigid years. But it was not this fact that startled me. Rather, it was the single trail of footsteps that lead out." The use of the demon's name was derived from Gnostic texts. My muse always and remains to be Takeshi Kaneshiro. Borrowed a concept from Hellblazer

Thank you for your review, SereniteRose!

* * *

 **The Dark Lake**

* * *

The year was 2005, and he had lived beside Hermione's apartment for a few months. He was, according to Baal, was decidedly placed in the friend zone as Hermione worked towards her graduate studies. He found that he didn't mind. It's not as if she's dating anyone else and if anything, he's the nearest thing she has to a "love interest" according to Ginny, her friend.

Across the world, he had heard that there was an on-going active skirmish between the two sides wherein Lucifer needed to intervene*. Did he care? Not particular. He figures if things go bad, he'd grab Hermione and lie low in his abode in hell. Sure, it would be hotter there but they both know powerful cooling charms, he can easily protect her (eternal damnation be damned) and between them and several applications of it, it can be quite cozy.

But he was relieved nonetheless when the wager between two sides went on and life continued. Hermione still had not clue that he is not even a muggle. He wanted to wring her neck for her obliviousness at times, but he also found this endearing. Despite what she went through, she is still much different from her former incarnate, his beloved Monashir.

He wasn't particularly fond of the half-breeds, nephilims and their ambitions. The problem with nephilims, for him, a full blood fallen angel, is that they have too much ambition. They wanted a solid role in the world where they live in, either side has this problem and not just the demons.

Speaking of roles, Abraxas' conditions were quite unique than his fellow fallen. For one, his descent into a grotesque version of himself wasn't as bad as theirs. For one, he maintained his form, all except for his feet which is easily disguised, glamor or even hidden. Another, is his ability to manifest physically into the world of man.

Many of his brethren were envious, some even tried to recruit him into doing their bidding but he often turned them down saying he has his own goals. Nevertheless, he figured that this came from his lack of desire to actually do humanity harm. He figured what he's doing is both beneficial and harmful so he was given the same courtesy as a nephilim, who like humans are both good and bad.

So what did this have to do with the rest of the fight that went on around him? Absolutely nothing, like the bartender in that bar he frequents which has doors leading to where it was needed, he is just neutral. He was still being punished for his rebellion millions of years before, but he was and still is pretty much apathetic about the whole thing.

He likes the world he woke up in, his beloved Hermione is already 26. Before he slept, she would have been matron with many squalling children and she would look like it. But the advancement of her times, both in norms and in medical advancement ensured that she still has a long way to go. He frowned at that knowledge. He knew that humanity's idea of a long way to go is nowhere near as long as his idea of a long way to go.

He remembered something from her memories, a stone. He laughed at that idea, he planted that seed of desire, to seek the road to immortality and of course the nearest possible way to attain it. Now, all he had to do is to find Nicholas Flamel.

* * *

Hermione really felt there was something more to her neighbor. It began when she saw that instead of having normal pupils, his eyes almost looked like cat's eyes in its luminescence. But when she focused on his face, it was gone. Sometimes, it was an odd movement, it's just a flicker or so but then in a flash it's gone.

But his oddity wasn't only in that. No charm, no spell or even potion seem to work on him. How did she knew? She tried. She knew it was against the law of the wizardry world, but her curiosity was piqued when he saw through the charm she applied on one of her shelves where she kept her magical books. Being neighborly, Hermione invited Shinji over for coffee. Hermione had been preparing coffee when he just took a book from the shelf as if it was one of the ordinary shelves in her apartment.

From then on, Hermione tried everything. Not dangerous hexes, just small spells and charms and to her shock, nothing worked. Nearing the end of her tether, she borrowed Harry's invisibility cloak. He was curious why she needed it but she shushed him and he just gave in, figuring that she's not the type to steer up trouble.

She donned the invisibility cloak and started following him; on his morning walk when he took his coffee and sandwich to go at the local deli, on the train and later on even inside the building where he worked as a stock broker. Hermione felt satisfaction when she realized that at least the invisibility cloak was working on him.

The elevator reached his floor, but instead of turning to his office he turned in another corner. Hermione figured he would be smoking seeing that it was the exit to some sort of corner where smokers can take a puff. But instead of doing that, he grabbed her and cornered her in his arms. He gave a devilish smirk, unlike his usual shy innocent demeanor. There was something not entirely human about him and his being able to see through the cloak is only a proof of that.

He wordlessly caressed her cheek with the back of his hand and looked at her with curiosity. His eyes were as luminescent as that time she thought she dreamt up. He drew nearer, "I could have taken a leave of absence if you wanted to spend the day with me, sweet Hermione. But for now, I have to deal with business. I have an important transaction to make." He whispered before he gave her a kiss on her forehead.

She blushed. He then smiled, his face returning to its usual shy and unassuming demeanor. "See you later, Hermione." He said before he turned to go to his office. She stood there for a while, still in Harry's invisibility cloak watching his back as he walked away. 'Just what are you?' She asked herself before she apparated out of the building into her home.

* * *

As she scoured magical texts after magical texts searching just what kind of creature or being her neighbor is, Hermione would later learn that the Dark Lake Forest somehow collapsed onto itself, leaving a hole in its place. She doesn't know what to make of it. But she hasn't connected this with her new neighbor… yet…


	5. Necronomicon

Summary: He is the demon of knowledge and he had loved her since the beginning of time. It is a love story that transcends time. The magical world doesn't believe in demons and the magical academic community Hermione works in does not believe in superstitions. But what if there's an element of truth to the stories. Could there be love along the way?

A/N: Inspired by a concept from Piers Anthony's Xanth Series. The idea came from this particular prompt: "The frozen lake had finally cracked open after all these frigid years. But it was not this fact that startled me. Rather, it was the single trail of footsteps that lead out." The use of the demon's name was derived from Gnostic texts. My muse always and remains to be Takeshi Kaneshiro. Borrowed a concept from Hellblazer and some mythos from H.P. Lovecraft.

Thank you for your reviews! I'm sorry for my irregular and late updates. Thanks for always leaving a review SereniteRose!

* * *

 **The Dark Lake**

* * *

Hermione was initially angered by the invasion of the supernatural creature she still can't categorize but had for the meanwhile calls Shinji Miyamoto, as he introduced himself the first time they met. He was still the same, except now he pops up every time he wants. She found that for some reason, whether by his still uncategorized (at least in her mind) magic, that she cannot tell anyone about it. Something always distracts the person she tries to tell, emergencies that ranged from small to big, and after an auror almost burnt his face off, she stopped trying to tell anyone. Neither could she date, the blind dates or even arranged dinners her friends arrange for her always ends up a disaster for the other person.

Not that she had much of those, as obsessed as she was in trying to decipher what and who he really is. She scoured every wizarding books, grimoires and even muggle books but couldn't fathom what he is. No magic, potion, nor even charm or hexes would work on him. He was immuned to all of it. It had been months since she managed to confirm he wasn't quite human and she's nearing the edge of her patience. He didn't really do much of anything, in fact he'd been quite helpful and even a good companion. He brings home groceries and food despite her protests, he cleans around the house and once even laundered her clothes (even her underwear much to her embarrassment) and provided a good sounding board for her articles. But he just won't tell her what he is.

He was watching Tiny House Nation while relaxing on her sofa, engrossed by the idea of a smart house when she sat down beside him and took some popcorn from his bowl. "What are you?" She asked rudely. He smiled. "Finally gave up, Hermione?" Abraxas asked. He was amused by this game they played and the puzzle it was to Hermione who was busily trying to solve it the past few weeks. "Just tell me what you are." Hermione said tiredly.

"But knowledge has a price. You may find it too steep." Abraxas said warningly. Hermione sighed. She of all people knew of the price of knowledge. She took a deep breath and decided for a compromise. "What's the price of a clue?" She asked. He drew nearer, just a few centimeters from her face and she felt a blush run from her neck up to her face. "A kiss for a boon." He said. "But I haven't agreed to…" But before Hermione protested, Abraxas or Shinji as she knew him drew close and kissed her forehead.

 _Abraxas was only one of his names, he was after all created in the time before the importance of names and even of the sense of being. Even when his physical form was trapped in the Dark Lake, his essence, his purpose and his being had seeped through the consciousness of humanity. He was the desire for knowledge, both rational and forbidden. It was in this desire that humanity came to be the beings of reason and logic that they are today, rather than the childlike innocents that they were meant in the beginning of creation. However, one still has to sell that idea to Abraxas who still believes that the Creator did this on purpose so as to enable mankind to thread on their own path._

War was brewing, but it had always brewed in the ancient world. It was a different world back then, the air smelt and felt different from the modern world, at least it was for those who remembered it. Humanity was different too. They were closer to God, or at least their idea of the divine and because of that they were also closer to demons. Superstitions, magic and myth, were everyday part of life. Many were not really supernatural in nature but since humanity lacked the scientific resource to explain them, they devised of superstitions to explain these.

Knowledge was a rare and valuable commodity. Many do not understand its worth, given how many are still barely scratching out an existence.

Abraxas was not his name in these parts of the world and in this time, he was revered as Yog-Sothoth. They knew he existed outside of these plane, beyond time and beyond space. He was knowledge incarnate and many worshipped him. One of his worshippers, was Abdul Alhazred. He was born in Sana'a, but travelled widely to gather knowledge and wisdom, going from the great library of Alexandria to the glory of Punjab. He knows many languages, capable of reading and translating manuscripts which defied lesser scholars.

But he wanted more, so much more. He craved wisdom, like drug addicts crave cocaine. He wanted the wisdom of time long gone. He spent a decade in the uninhabited ruins of Babylon, wondering at their wisdom and their downfall. It was from there that he learnt, from the etchings of people long gone, about a "god" knowledge.

He summoned the essence of Yog-Sothoth. Abraxas gave him everything he wanted and more, so much more. He showed Alhazred the lives of those who lives before the Great Flood, taught him the language of men before they became discrete. He showed him the heavenly kingdom before the war of its hosts, the sufferings of souls damned. He showed him the memories of things that became stories, then folklore before becoming myths. He showed him those who have inhabited earth before the human race. He showed him the rise of mankind, the decline and eventually rise before their destruction.

Abraxas showed Alhazred the universes, the planes and movement of time and space. Alhazred saw the magnificent Iram, the City of Pillars, the Nameless City inhabited by reptiles and of different kingdoms and cities. Of course, no human can handle all these knowledge and all these wisdom without being unhinged and demented. Abdul Alhazred systematically killed young children, used their skins to make up the pages of his book, their blood mixed with ink to write with and he wrote all of these knowledge he learned but found that he couldn't contain all of that he saw. He asked Yog-Sothoth for the ability to write the book and Abraxas agreed. Alhazred originally named the book, _"Al Azif"_ , akin to the nocturnal sound of insects which heralds the howling of demons.

When it was finished, Damascus, a city bustling with activity and life, was about to be engulfed in a war and would be seized by the Assyrian king, Tiglath-Pileser III. But before this terror came knocking on the doors of the stronghold that was Damascus, Alhazred would pay the price of his wisdom. One of those whom he viewed in his travels of the different planes, wanted no one and nothing to see him.

In front of many horrified witnesses, Abdul Alhazred was dragged from this plane of existence, a monster, invisible in the eyes of man. This monster, masticated and devoured him in front of everyone who could not do a thing except to look on with horror in their eyes.

 _She saw the book passed on from one hand to another, it was in the hands of Theodorus Philetas who translated it into Greek that it gained the name it was known for, "Necronomicon", when he translated Alhazred's work into his language. The original and some of its reproductions would be hunted down and burnt by the order of Patriarch Michael I Cerularius, but the translations would proliferate and be translated into different languages. All those who tried to master the Necronomicon would meet a ghastly end. Only a few reproductions remained of this famed book, most are held by private individuals and only five institutions hold these but access to the public isn't allowed._

Hermione gasped, her hand, one held by Shinji was smoking but she didn't feel hot. Instead, she felt sweaty and clammy. The demon, for that's what he is, sighed and lifted her out from the floor where she unconsciously fell from what she saw, and carried her to her bedroom.

"You're evil. So many people died and those children, those innocent children…"Hermione gasped, breathing heavily. She flinched instinctively when he reached out to touch her. "Am I evil? Or is it those humans who used the knowledge they have to kill or just sought to kill, are the ones who are evil?" He asked in a cold voice. Hermione placed her hands on her face and ran them through her sweat dampened hair.

"I am the devil of knowledge, that is true. But I am not inherently evil and knowledge is not inherently evil. We all have a choice, Hermione." Shinji said, displeased at how Hermione recoiled from his touch when she had overtime grown use to the slight touches they shared given their near proximity most of the time.

"Now, what would you do with that knowledge, Hermione Jean Granger?" He asked as he disappeared back into the shadows, leaving a shivering Hermione in his wake.


	6. Dreams and Aspirations

Summary: He is the demon of knowledge and he had loved her since the beginning of time. It is a love story that transcends time. The magical world doesn't believe in demons and the magical academic community Hermione works in does not believe in superstitions. But what if there's an element of truth to the stories. Could there be love along the way?

A/N: Inspired by a concept from Piers Anthony's Xanth Series. The idea came from this particular prompt: "The frozen lake had finally cracked open after all these frigid years. But it was not this fact that startled me. Rather, it was the single trail of footsteps that lead out." The use of the demon's name was derived from Gnostic texts. My muse always and remains to be Takeshi Kaneshiro. Borrowed a concept from Hellblazer.

Thank you for your reviews, ccccifaaaa and CherepMikhailov! I apologize for the brevity of this chapter because I start with the actual storyline in the next one.

* * *

 **The Dark Lake**

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Hermione tossed and turned on her bed that night. She contemplated what she saw, what she knew and what she experienced and realized that it wasn't that knowledge is evil by nature, nor is it the intentions behind people's actions that determine whether what they do is evil or not but rather their actions themselves.

She had been distant enough from the Second Wizarding War to know that many of Voldemort's followers and even Voldemort himself didn't really see their actions as evil and did it to that purpose. Tom Marvolo Riddle was an orphan boy, who with his conception never understood or felt love. While the use of amortentia in his conception played a key role in his inability to feel neither love nor empathy. He wasn't unique in that Hermione knew that there are other psychopaths out there who are incapable of feeling these emotions. But for what it's worth, she knew that the wars he waged came from his cruel and cold treatment at the hands of those muggles from the orphan asylum where he grew up in. While she didn't know if he was maltreated, she figured he probably was and he probably realized early that the only way he'd be left alone and in peace is if he scared those muggles into submission. He probably thought that all muggles and hence all muggleborns are inherently evil and out to get those who have magic. For what it's worth, he probably thought he was making a safer place for wizards and witches. She doesn't excuse his actions, no, but just because a person is well meaning doesn't mean that they are good.

Being good means the ability to empathize with other people, feel compassion and in the worst of situations put the needs of many before one's own. It means, that if necessary, one can sacrifice his or her own well-being for the sake of others. It means the ability to see beyond the superficial difference of race, gender or nationality and to relate to them as fellow human beings. Voldemort and his followers didn't see muggles and muggleborns as fellow human beings and that's the root of why the actions they took are evil.

But they are horrible ignorant. Logically speaking no wizard or witch is really pureblood. While a certain wizarding family can go back centuries, she figures somewhere along the way as obscure as it is in terms of written history or perhaps out of sheer prejudice, those muggleborn wizards or witches are removed or whitewashed from the line. She also theorized that no muggleborn is ever really muggleborn. She is betting that magic is a sort of mutation hence she probably has some squib cast off from one of the pureblood families who does this practice in quiet, as an ancestor.

Of course, Hermione has not done any studies to this effect. But her knowledge of muggle science and more particular of basic genetics makes her see things in a broader perspective. She cringes in the inability of many wizards and witches from the wizardry world to understand the changes of muggle society and technology. It is as if they're stuck from centuries past. She went back to the question Shinji posed. "Is knowledge inherently evil?" Hermione sighed and realized that it wasn't. Ignorance, hatred, prejudice and bias; these are the things that prods humanity to do evil. It is not knowledge. In fact, lacking knowledge is more dangerous than being learned.

Of the things she saw from Shinji's recollection, it wasn't knowledge that drove those people to do the actions they did. It was endless desire to have more; power, abilities and even to look better. They just used what they knew as tools.

Hermione sat up and realized that sometime had gone by since she went to bed and it was already midnight. She realized she had been wrong to judge Shinji as she did and he was her friend. She of all people knew what it feels like to have your friend reject you.

* * *

Hermione don't think demons sleep so she knocked on his door. Shinji opened his door looking as if he just got roused up from bed. He lazily rubbed his eyes. "Hermione, it's 1 am. Why are you…?" Shinji asked in surprise. But she didn't let him continue as Hermione hugged him and started apologizing.

He hugged her back and whispered that he understood and she'd been forgiven.

* * *

Hermione and Shinji sat on top of the Duomo in Florence, Italy. He teleported them there on that weekend just to "hang out" Hermione's generation called it.

Shinji explained that he is called Abraxas by some Christian lore and many other names but in reality he came before names were even invented but he didn't mind if she called him Shinji. This building is one of his favorites given how it was built on both dreams and ambitions even when the people who built it didn't have the means to initially finish the construction after it was first designed. It took two centuries of construction, finished when those who dreamt of how it would turn out are long dead.

He explained that the life modern day humans now live is the result of all the dreams and aspirations of ages gone by.


	7. A Bedtime Story

Summary: He is the demon of knowledge and he had loved her since the beginning of time. It is a love story that transcends time. The magical world doesn't believe in demons and the magical academic community Hermione works in does not believe in superstitions. But what if there's an element of truth to the stories. Could there be love along the way?

A/N: Inspired by a concept from Piers Anthony's Xanth Series. The idea came from this particular prompt: "The frozen lake had finally cracked open after all these frigid years. But it was not this fact that startled me. Rather, it was the single trail of footsteps that lead out." The use of the demon's name was derived from Gnostic texts. My muse always and remains to be Takeshi Kaneshiro. Borrowed a concept from Hellblazer.

Thank you for your reviews, ccccifaaaa and silverwolfigther00! I hope you enjoy this chapter.

* * *

 **The Dark Lake**

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"The world was naught, null, and nothing; only Tehum which means, "The Formless Darkness". But the Lord spoke into this Darkness and from within the Lord Himself came out a Word and the Word was "Light". So the Word of God entered the Darkness and there was Light, and the breath of God on which the Word was carried into the Darkness was Life, and this Spirit began moving and shaping the Darkness. Word and Spirit, Light and Life, began to give form to Tehum, that Tehum itself was no more, but was now the World that was, is, and will be.

The angels did not begin all at once, but the first of the angels created was named Heyley, which means Morningstar, the Son of the Dawn. Thus the Lord, with the first of His angels went on to form the heavens, earth and everything in between. How long this had been going on is unknown even to the other Heavenly Host. The Lord would always ask, "What does it matter how long the Morningstar has been? It could have been a day, but is thousand years any more than a day to the Lord?"

Then, came the day that the Lord created brothers and sisters for the Morningstar, and again the Lord called out a name and from the light of Heaven arose the second angel, whom men know as Michael, and in the same breath, the Lord called out a third name, and a third angel Ariel came forth. Again and again, the Lord spoke names and on and on until the whole of the shining light had yielded up each and every angel that would ever be. The Lord took these first twelve angels, the oldest, who would be the highest leaders of angels and set them under the instruction of the Morningstar to learn all that he knew.

The world was continued to be shaped and formed and everything around it created to His will. Until the last one, this last creation was very important to the Lord. He'd been saving it for a long time and from the breath of the Lord, the same breath that carried the Word into the World and formed the universe, the Lord made this creation in his own image. A man and a woman, and to these creatures, God gave something else His other creations did not have: Absolute Free Will. These creatures could decide to do anything it wanted, something nothing else could do for all eternity, even disobey God if it wanted to. The Lord raised up the man, Adam, before all of his creations, including His angels and ordered them to obey, worship and above all, love Adam as they loved the Lord because Adam was the Lord's favorite and bore the image of the Lord.

Sin is a very peculiar creature, it begins like a seed or an egg, growing until it becomes a great beast the lurks outside your door. It is a beast that all the descendants of Adam would one day have to gain mastery over. But for the Angels, Sin begins differently, hatching from Pride. My little Hermione, there is nothing wrong with being proud, otherwise the Lord would never give us talents, or success of families, communities and even civilizations to be proud of. But Pride is the reason why Morningstar forgot who gave him his many talents. As he was greatest, strongest, wisest, oldest, most handsome, and most exalted of all angels, he was also the most proud.

God have never asked Morningstar to love someone so greatly as he was ordered to love Adam. Never before did Morningstar have to bow down to anyone except the Lord. Why was Adam deemed so great? Adam hadn't helped God make the world, he, the Morningstar, had. His pride had been so offended that he forgot the Lord created him and he wondered if he was better at sitting on the Lord's Heavenly Throne than the Lord was.

Morningstar only ever loved the Lord, but other than him, of all his heavenly brothers and sisters, there was only one he loved; his brother Michael, the oldest of the angels other than himself. He used his charm, his manipulations and beseeched Michael to feel the outrage he felt against Adam. "Think about it, brother," he said. "For so long we have served the Lord our Father, and now we are to kneel before this new and untested creation? It is madness! Imagine what we could be without Father, Michael! I could sit on the Throne, and you to replace me as the highest of all angels. I'm sure after enough time, no one would even remember Father, or His human. We could rule! Together!"

But Michael did not share his older brother's pride and for the first time in creation, the Archangel Michael, Prince of the Heavenly Host, made a Choice – the Choice. Many choices we make today, we make with actions, but as the Lord had created the world with a Word, so Prince Michael made his Choice with a word. He looked his beloved older brother in the eyes and said, "Serviam…" which means, "I shall serve Him…" With these words, Michael turned his back on his brother, and the War in Heaven began.

It didn't take long for Morningstar to tempt every angel in Heaven with the prospect of overthrowing God. Most denied him, choosing to serve the Lord. But there were still those who sided with the Morningstar, and a great many of those there were, a third of the heavenly hosts. Haberakhah, whose name meant the Blessing was not tempted in the same way that the other demons were. But he was still prideful. He did not hate Adam, he merely did not understand why mankind was given freewill but was not given knowledge, his dominion.

The war waged hot and bloody. Many angels on both sides died, or as much as an angel can die anyway. But Morningstar wasn't afraid to lose his soldiers. He wrote the names of every single angel who obeyed and worshipped him as the new evil God, on his own wings so that if an angel fell in battle, he or she would rest "in the wings of the Morningstar" and angel's power would be added to him. Only the cunning Haberakhah who did not reveal his full name which is unknown to anyone but him and his creator was not included in the list despite the Morningstar's urging.

There were many wonderful stories that came out from this part of the war; from the transformation and betrayal or Rameel, the Pledge of Raphael, Uriel's Triump, Gabriel's Taming of the Dragons and of Ariel saving the Earth from Azazel. But the greatest story from this war is how the fighting in Heaven finally came to an end, that one final duel that was nothing short of a miracle.

By now, Satan, is the most powerful one other than the Lord Himself given how he took on the powers of those who followed him. On the final day of the battle, every angel was locked in combat while Satan remained off from the battlefield. But the soldiers, led by Ariel were able to turn the tide.

This gave the Archangels time to plan, Satan had not confronted them on the battle field yet because he would rather see the angels sworn to him give up their lives for him in an act of devotion, as it didn't matter to him as their strength was already his. This couldn't be guaranteed for too long though, due to Michael's soldiers driving back Beelzebub's, Satan's general's, and troops. As soon as word reached Satan that his plans were failing, he would come and face the Archangels himself, who would most certainly lose. After all, it was the Morningstar who had taught them how to fight; who had taught them everything.

The bloodshed must end, Michael stepped forward, he would go to Satan himself and challenge him to one final duel to decide the fate of Heaven.

At the thought of this, the Archangels protested, surely there must be another way, for Michael would certainly be destroyed the moment he made his challenge. It was Ariel who was the first to relent. Other than the Morningstar, he had known his brother the longest, and he had faith that if anyone could stop Satan, it was Michael, the most faithful and loyal of all angels. He had after all been the first to make a choice. At this there was no more argument amongst the Archangels, and all six brothers blessed Michael and with the company of Heavenly Host, prayed for Michael's victory.

Humans don't seem to conceive the idea that angels can experience miracles as the angels are after all the ones usually working miracles, but that was one miracle that nobody who witnessed it can forget, neither angel nor demon. That last day of the War in Heaven, Michael experienced a huge miracle for himself. There was no conceivable way he could have won, and in every scenario that a logic would dictate Michael should have lost.

But by the grace and glory of God, Michael was victorious. Michael cast Satan out of Heaven, and every angel who had worshipped Satan was dragged down with him. Down they fell, like bolts of lightning crashing to the earth; then deeper into the darkest depths, a place called Hell. A geis was made that they would be unable to step foot in heavens once more.

Michael then went before the Lord, carrying the shining crown that the Lord had placed on the Morningstar's head when he had been created. Instead of placing this crown on his head and declaring himself the new chief angel, Michael cast the crown before the Lord and knelt down before him. All of his brothers, the faithful angels followed suit." Abraxas finished his tale to Hermione tucking a stray curl behind an ear.

"You sound like you admire Michael, Shinji." Hermione said. He nodded. "I do. He is the most understanding and kindest brother a guy could ever have." He mused in a sad tone. "Then, why did you?" Hermione asked but was unable to finish the question.

 _"_ _Haberakhah, now known as Abraxas, why did you disobey the Lord and took up arms in the name of Satan when you do not believe his folly?" Michael asked him before he was to go down to earth. "Pride and envy, I believe that the Lord was wrong in not allowing humanity to have full knowledge of everything around them and I envy man for his freewill." He answered._

"I was young and foolish." He answered ruefully kissed Hermione's forehead before she could press some more. He then switched the lights off. He felt that someone, other than the usual, was watching them and because of that he did not leave Hermione's side. He got an iced tea from the refrigerator, poured some into two glasses, conjured a chair from nowhere and sat by her bedside. He handed the other glass to Hermione's invisible guardian angel who thanked him before drinking it.

From Hell, a pair of cat eyes narrowed in envy and anger.

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A/N: Source: The History of Demons – An Explanation of the War in Heaven and the Fall of Lucifer, as Explained to a Child


	8. Hell Knoweth no Fury

Summary: He is the demon of knowledge and he had loved her since the beginning of time. It is a love story that transcends time. The magical world doesn't believe in demons and the magical academic community Hermione works in does not believe in superstitions. But what if there's an element of truth to the stories. Could there be love along the way?

A/N: Inspired by a concept from Piers Anthony's Xanth Series. The idea came from this particular prompt: "The frozen lake had finally cracked open after all these frigid years. But it was not this fact that startled me. Rather, it was the single trail of footsteps that lead out." The use of the demon's name was derived from Gnostic texts. My muse always and remains to be Takeshi Kaneshiro. Borrowed a concept from Hellblazer.

I apologize for the infrequent updates. Thank you for your review lexicon63738, DianneBaquiran and ChipzGrMione! I hope you enjoy this chapter.

* * *

 **The Dark Lake**

* * *

 _"Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned / Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned."_ \- The Mourning Bride by William Congreve

Life eventually settled in a sort of modern day idea of idyllic bliss for Hermione and her neighbor (stalker/ housemate/ bodyguard). Shinji as Hermione calls him is a nice guy in most aspects. He takes out the trash, does his share of the household and even do errands and chores for her. The only sign of his being "demonic" is his malevolent glee at making good investments, getting an upperhand (Hermione believes he is using his powers unfairly or rigging it somehow) and having huge deals. He was also very happy whenever Simon Cowell or Gordon Ramsay shouts at or belittle a contestant.

Her friends would often tease her for their "living arrangements" with Ron acting like an irritated brother of sorts over the insinuations that the two practically live together but other than that they understood the unsaid belief that they cannot meet Shinji yet because they think he is a muggle.

The things Hermione enjoys the most are the simple things like reading together, going to museums and watching plays or good movies together. Like all girls, she enjoys having a nice quiet dinner with him, small gifts like a flower and a book for light reading, tea or even a trinket or so. Her magical and non-magical friends and his supernatural friends were all happy for them, it keeps Hermione from rushing off to fight for some disadvantaged creatures at the expense of the said creature's own choices and it keeps Shinji from rousing a demon or an angel or other supernatural beings to be at each other's throats just for fun.

But not everyone is happy for them in their "domestic bliss".

* * *

She was conceived as the original woman, before Eve was ever thought to be created. She was the woman created at the same time with Adam, from the same dirt and from the same thought and in the image of the Creator himself. If Hermione knew the entirety of her story, she'd opine that Lilith is the complex representation of female desires.

In another place and another time, Hermione would probably be married to her childhood sweetheart, Ron. But this is not the case in this world. She is an independent woman who strives to know herself, her identity in her chosen field and to study without restraint from what she should study by the side of incarnate of forbidden knowledge himself.

Lilith was not allowed this freedom, this choice, she had to carve a choice and a life for herself. Adam and Lilith should have been the progenitor of humanity. But Adam, in his cherished place as the most favored of creation couldn't understand why the companion who was created for him won't bow down and obey his commands as the rest of creation and even the angels do.

Adam couldn't understand the longing Lilith has in her eyes for knowledge and things beyond Eden. The questions of what was, what would be and how it would come to be. Lilith understood that the Forbidden Fruit from the Tree of Wisdom is verboten, she understood better than Adam who follows in blind obedience of the repercussion of not being ready for something. It is poison. But she could not understand why she has to obey this man-child, this beloved Creation who tries repeatedly to place himself over and above her when they were created to be equals.

The last straw came when she saw a beautiful creature who watched Adam and her as they moved about in Paradise. She approached the being, aware of his beauty that can only came from his being a Heavenly host but there was something off. She knew at the moment that he is no angel, but one of the fallen.

"Who are you?" She asked. The beautiful being cocked his head to the side and wondered why she is even speaking with him. "Who are you?" She asked again. He answered that he is Abraxas, the demon of Forbidden Knowledge, keeper of the tree even after his fall from grace. He told her that he is observing them, he is observing creation, to gain knowledge and to understand. He would not speak to her again, mindful of unbalancing the chain of Creation.

She would see him but he would draw back whenever she came near after that.

The last straw that broke the proverbial donkey's back for Lilith was after her rumination in the beauty of the forbidden is when her boorish husband want her to lie beneath him. To be underneath in the act of what should be shared passion. It was a thousand cuts, but this was the one that finally broke her out of her prison. She rebelled.

Why should she be beneath him? They were created from the same dirt, by the hands of the same Creator and in his image. She pushed him aside and walked out of paradise.

She, in her immortality, untouched by the original sin that Adam and Eve would eventually succumb to, was able to travel in majesty and power that should have been humanity's. She observed creation, she observed the world and tasted and felt the pleasure of the senses. She laid and coupled with the fallen angels, demons who allowed her fantasies and allowed her to explore what she wanted to. She closed her eyes and imagined her beautiful forbidden fruit, the one she hasn't seen since she left Eden. She wasn't underneath, she was beauty and power incarnate.

Adam felt bereft after she left. He called upon the Creator, complaining that his helpmeet deserted him. God sent the angels Senoy, Sansenoy and Semangelof to fetch Lilith back. They found her near the Red Sea, surrounded and pleasured by lascivious demons to whom she already bore the Lilim, incubus and succubus, who due to her fertility, gave birth to more than hundreds of these a day.

They threatened her death, she knew it was an empty threat, for was she not immortal? She argued that how can she return to Adam to be an honest housewife after her stay beside the Red Sea. She brokered an agreement with the angels. As she was created to take charge of all newborn children, she would take them if they do not have the protection of the angels' names in an amulet for as long as they have not been offered to God. Seeing how prolific her line is, the angels by the order of the Creator laid a geis that a hundred of her children would be destroyed daily as punishment for her refusal to come home.

Eve was created from the rib of Adam and the rest is history. After sometime, Lilith finally found her beautiful fallen angel, who was busily observing the texture of the scales of a snake. She stood beside him, beautiful even after her passionate coupling with his kind. He felt her and cocked his head, noticing the change. Her eyes, which had been beautiful blue were now like those of a cat. He filed this information in his head. He had of course been aware that she left Paradise by her own volition but he wonders why she approaches him now.

She kissed him and at that moment, the demon of forbidden knowledge saw what would be and how it would be. He saw her whisperings to his beloved, who would end up trapping him a curse that would bind him for a very long time in terms of human existence. He saw her and her offspring victimize human babies in their cradles, killing them as vengeance for her perceived slights. He saw men and women fall in her or her offspring's thrall, committing atrocious acts against each other and turning against the ones they really love. Lust would overcome love. Greed would overcome kindness.

He pushed her away, unfeelingly and unmindful of whatever it is that drew his kind to her. He knew why his kind wanted her. She was meant for God's most favored creation, Adam, and their laying with her is a form of vengeance. That and she is very beautiful. But he didn't see that. He saw how she is the downfall of many of her kind.

She protested, this was her first rejection as not even Adam could resist her charms if she willed it. He left her without explanation, his back was the last thing she saw as she fell to her knees and cried.

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A/N: Already working on the next chapter. Mwah!


	9. Like a Woman Scorned

Summary: He is the demon of knowledge and he had loved her since the beginning of time. It is a love story that transcends time. The magical world doesn't believe in demons and the magical academic community Hermione works in does not believe in superstitions. But what if there's an element of truth to the stories. Could there be love along the way?

A/N: Inspired by a concept from Piers Anthony's Xanth Series. The idea came from this particular prompt: "The frozen lake had finally cracked open after all these frigid years. But it was not this fact that startled me. Rather, it was the single trail of footsteps that lead out." The use of the demon's name was derived from Gnostic texts. My muse always and remains to be Takeshi Kaneshiro. Borrowed a concept from Hellblazer.

I apologize for the infrequent updates. Thank you for your review ChipzGrMione!

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 **The Dark Lake**

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Despite her broken heart, she continued to watch him, contented that he sought no comfort in the arms of other demons, the lilim or even the nephilim. He only ever concerns himself with mankind if he has knowledge to teach, a desire to pique or if he's really bored to stir trouble among his own kind; pitting one against the other. Dear reader, if you have ever loved, you'd understand that it is easier to put up with rejection if the object of your desire has no one else.

She continued to carouse, longing for days of old and paradise and idyllic life lost. She cried when Adam died, even mourned the death of Eve and stood still when the last of their offspring was laid to rest. She often wondered if they have gone to heaven and whether it is like Eden. She knows that Adam and Eve were no longer innocent as they once were but she hoped that they would at least find some comfort in the land of their guardians.

Mind you, those are her good days, she is often found cursing Adam, cursing Eve for her misfortunes. She hates their descendants and sought to kill the most innocent ones. Yet, for all her anger, she cannot turn her hatred towards the distant figure that tempted her to stray and leave paradise, Abraxas.

He was busily observing humanity. He delighted in the heights of their achievements in technology and sciences, mourned how it was slowed or halted by superstition, religion or spirituality. She was content in watching him and being comforted in the arms of whatever supernatural being she found herself in. That was until the young witch came.

She watched their romance in anger and envy. The witch was innocent, unaware of the temptation of flesh and the temptation of sensations. Knowledge was her only pursuit. Lilith saw how Abraxas cherished it, cherished her and watch him act in tenderness and care towards a being she saw to be unworthy of him.

She was more beautiful, with more eons of experience and knowledge and she was immortal like him. Why would he chose a plain girl over him? She laughed in her bitterness, yes it was her innocence that caught him of course.

She donned the appearance of the girl while he was busily observing the rise of the Western side of the world grow. His eyes narrowed and he shook his head. "Great appearance Lilith, but you forgot to remove the stench of the demons who you've copulated with. Maybe a bath would do it." He said in an emotionless, sneering and cold tone.

She didn't know that he knew what was about to come, that it was meant to happen. She whispered in the ears of the men of the village near where his precious witch lived. Sowing seeds of mistrust amidst the adversity they were in. She concentrated her efforts in that land. The deaths of their children made grieving parents hate.

She was there as the two lovers were torn apart, one by her protection of her fellow men and the other by his love and devotion towards the girl. "Anything's better than being with you…" He sent her one last scathing thought before he slept. His smile was insultingly peaceful and contented. He was still too cultured and gentlemanly before it even became a word, to actually curse her, but that's the nearest he got.

It didn't really matter to Lilith that she may never see him again, she took comfort that his essence and his desires fueled humanity in their advancement and growth. Gatherers became farmers and civilizations grew.

She visited the outskirts surrounding his forest, as the damned demon who spurned her wouldn't even allow her within his forest. She often laid flowers. She really missed looking at his eyes.

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She was too busy partying with a bunch of college boys, sucking their life essence and making them do evil things to notice that Abraxas had finally broken out of his curse. She didn't realize that he was gone up until he settled to live beside the latest incarnate of his pet witch and she only heard it through the supernatural grapevine.

There were several power outages near her vicinity and in her anger, she slept with and partied with a bunch of teenagers who were on their break. There had been many reported drug overdose that year, but it was her work really. What else is a girl to do to forget that idiot who wouldn't even give her the time of the day?

It took sometime before she finally gathered the courage to see his girl. She snorted. She was nothing special. She was pretty enough as far as the Daughters of Eve goes but nothing special.

She picked up a soul, who had been a handsome man in his stay on earth and flung him across the room. She felt like choking in both anger and sadness. She is beautiful, she is smart, she is a good and enjoyable companion. Why wasn't she ever good enough for him?

She kicked at a beautiful temptress who was serving her in her pleasure palace in hell. Her eyes narrowed in anger. She would really have to get rid of this Hermione Granger.

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Shinji was having tea with Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel. He told Hermione that he'd be going on vacation but really he is trying to convince Nicholas to either hand over the Philosopher's Stone or at least teach him how to replicate it. He knew well that the Philosopher's Stone couldn't be destroyed as Albus Dumbledore told the rest of the world.

Nicholas had been the one who opened the door to him, scared and confused how anyone found his fidellius hidden palatial home. When he saw Shinji, he understood just what he was dealing with. You don't live that long without learning a thing or two about the world, especially if you are a knowledgeable wizard. Upon realizing that he knew, Shinji came straight out about who he is and what he is there for.

He and his wife are so tired, stretched beyond human capacity to live. The problem with immortality is that without eternal youth, it is more of a burden for both the body and the mind to maintain life. They already saw adopted children, descendants and distant descendants come and go, die either by the stroke of fate, illness or accidents, or even by old age. Yet, they continue on.

Shinji noticed that there were no moving portraits in the couple's manse. There were two greenhouses which housed their food and herbs. The two drank pain relieving potions with their tea. "I have an offer to make." He said as Perenelle finally sat down.

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 _"_ _If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat."_

Having lived through a war, the aftermath and the paranoia and prejudice preceding it, Hermione is nothing but vigilant. She wasn't stupid, it wasn't and shouldn't be all curses and hexes. She worked out. She knew that she would be a prime target after Harry and alongside Ron. There are still those who wants to capture if not kill them.

She started to understand Moody's warnings of constant vigilance. With this in mind, she invented means that would not only allow her electronic devices to work but would also render the space without magic. It took years but she finally figured it out.

She, of course, left no evidence, destroyed her notes after creating this, relying on her memory to recreate these charms. She permanently anchored her apartment and her magical tents with this, rendering the need for anti-apparition wards and other security measures obsolete.

Of course she has means to protect herself; a gun with silver bullet, a stake, pepper spray and in this case a pair of silver knucks blessed in Rome. The existence of demons initially rattled her and her inability to mostly protect herself in case they do attack. So she learned ancient protection wards from Shinji, making her space demonic power proof. Of course, a demon or in this case demoness can still come in. After all, how would Shinji bring her chinese take-out?

Thus, Lilith did not expect what she got, when she teleported herself in Hermione's apartment.

The demoness, realized her mistake in not killing Hermione's previous incarnate, decided to solve this problem by killing Hermione while Abraxas was distracted elsewhere.

There are things you should know about war veterans; never surprise them and never ever try to attack them. But Lilith for all her years of existence has never really experienced war first hand.

Lilith tried to summon her magic to kill Hermione but was surprised when her powers failed. Hermione stared at her in surprise. Anger was still foremost in Lilith's mind so she attacked Hermione. She managed to grab Hermione's hair and scratched her face.

Upon realizing what she was up against after seeing Lilith's cat eyes, Hermione head butted Lilith, took the blessed knucks from her pocket and punched Lilith's face, breaking the demoness' jaw. She delivered another punch for safety measure.

"Constant vigilance…" Hermione murmured to herself as Lilith blacked out, experiencing pain for the first time in her existence.

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A few hours later found Hermione sitting beside Lilith who was nursing a healing broken jaw while holding an ice pack against it perched on bar stools in Papa Midnite's bar. Hermione found herself commiserating with the first woman as she laid her heartache to Hermione's sympathetic ear. Hermione found herself pouring her emotions at her first heart break. How despite the seemingly amicable split, she was hurt from Ron's constant infidelity and his often trying to pressure her into having sex with him when she hadn't been ready.

Lilith told her of Adam's wanting her to "obey" him, of Abraxas' scorn and rejection and Hermione found that she somehow sympathized. After all, what woman doesn't? Hermione shared how Ron lost his virginity to "Lav Lav" and despite his dislike of the insipid girl, expected her to be the same. "Men…" Both Lilith and Hermione sighed as they took another drink.

Hermione took a look at Lilith's curvy figure and beautiful face. "If he doesn't like you, there are literally millions who are after you." She commented downing another firewhiskey. She was about to comment on how beautiful Lilith is when she stopped at the broken jaw she caused. She apologized again. The demoness waved her off. "It's nothing. I deserve it. I don't even know what am doing pining after that bastard who never liked me." Lilith sighed. "I should really hate you." She told Hermione. The younger woman shook her head. "Yes, you should." Hermione agreed. "No. I hate men." Lilith commented as she downed another drink.

It was in this situation that Abraxas found his girlfriend Hermione and the woman he rejected sitting beside each other sharing funny stories and one he overhead was about him. When both women noticed him they gave him a glare.

It was then that he noticed that Hermione had scratches on her face and Lilith was nursing a broken jaw. An angel passed by and snickered. "Someone is in trouble…" He taunted Shinji who gulped in fear.

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That is the story of how Hermione befriended the first woman who turned to be a powerful demoness. What Hermione didn't know is that Ronald Weasley would suffer five years of erectile dysfunction, only gaining erection around handsome men much to his horror. He spent these years wandering why he is still only attracted to girls but would only get that kind of physical reaction towards men.

Lilith gained an attentive audience in form of Hermione and later Ginny as she regaled them with her men troubles. She now have mortal companions in going to salons and spas. There are times when the girls, more of Hermione and Lilith, would sit in a park bench somewhere and laughingly insult couples who exhibit excessive public displays of affection, with the use of silencing charms, of course, because Hermione doesn't want to be rude. Lilith also stopped pining after Abraxas, who she now sees as a selfish douche and because he's Hermione's main squeeze. Chicks before dicks, right?

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A/N: I'm not much of a conflict writer but I am really trying to improve. I hope you enjoy this chapter even if I'd grade this with the readability of a 7th grader's essay.


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